Axle construction



Feb.. 27, 1923. l LMUQ.

G. vv. HARPER.

AXLE CONSTRUCTION.

FILED JUNE 14. 191s. 2 sHEl-:s-snn '2.

Patented Feb. 27, i923.

UNHT@ Sill-@FETES @FFHCLD GEORGE W, HARPER, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE COLUMBIA AXLE COMPANY, 0F CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION 0F OHIO.

AXLE CONSTRUCTION.

Application filed June 14, 1918. Serial No. 239,916.

' To @ZZ 'whom t may concern Be it known that l, Gnonon W. HARPER, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Cleveland, county of Cuyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Axle Constructions, of which the following is a speciiication, the principle of the invention being herein explained and the best inode in which I have contemplated applying that principle, so as to distinguish it from other invent-ions.

The present invention, relating, as indicated, to axle construction, is particularly concerned with an axle of the type commonly known as an internal gear drive axle, in which the load is supported upon one member designed particularly for that purpose, and the drive is communicated to the wheels through other members supported upon the load-carrying member. One ol ject of the present invention is the provision in an axle of this type of an extremely simple and strong load-carrying member, to which the driving members may be readilyl attached. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims.

rllhe annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawingszl l Fig. l is a section taken on a horizontal plane through one form of my improved axle showing the improved features of the construction; Fig. 9. .is a central vertical section showing a modified type of axle; Fig. 3 is a similar view showing still another ;t'orm; Fig. 4 is a transverse central vertical section similar to F igs. 2 and 3, but showing the axle of Fig. l; Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a modifiedtype of axle housing which may be employed; Fig. 6' is a plan view of the same, part being shown in horizontal longitudinal section;A and Fig. 7 is a central transverse vertical section of the housing in Figs. 5 and 6, to which are attached a diiferential carrier and a rear cover plate.

In Fig. l there is shown a casing l, in which there is mounted differential mechanism of the usual type in which the drive is communicated through the driving shaft 2 to bevel gears 3 and 4, and then through the differential mechanism 5 to the driving shaft 6. rlhe casing l is extended forwardly to provide a suitable bearing for the driving shaft 2 and the various elements of the diiierential mechanism are supported in the usual manner, and need not be explained in detail.

In front of and parallel to the driving axle 6, the two shafts of which are mounted in tubular casings 7 attached to the differential casing l, is a load-carrying axle in the form of a tubular housing S provided with an enlarged central portion 9, in which there are formed aligned co-axial openings l0 and li. The opening lO in the front or forward face of the housing 8 is of less diameter than the opening ll in the rear face and is reinforced by having an inwardly turned flange 12, forced into contact with the inner side of the housing proper. In this wayl there is formed an edge portion about the front opening of double thickness and of considerable strength. Mounted in the housing 8 are re-inforcing tubes 13 for the purpose of strengthening the axle, and it will be understood that the ends of the tubes 13 are formed into wheel spindles for receiving the wheels. Any desired construction of driving mechanism may be employed for communicating the drive from the shafts 6 to the wheels, and as an internal gear drive, such as has been brieiiy described above, is not in itself new, ll have neither shown or described the wheel .mech anisni.

The differential casing l is provided on 'its front side with an extending face or projection ,'14, which is adapted to contact against the inner face of the inturned flange 12. rihe differential casing is placed in position in the housing by being moved into the same through the rear opening 1l until the face 11i is in engagement with the flange l2, and is maintained in such position by a plurality of bolts 15 which pass through the housing and are threaded into the face iet on the casing. The enlarged portion of the housing, which will ordinarily be disposed centrally ot the axle, is of the same width, measured on ahori'zontal plane as the remainder of the axle 8, but is enlarged suiiciently to permit of the convenient introduetion thereinto of the forwardl part ot the differential casing` l. The casing l is so constructed thatA it Will not contact the edges ol? the opening il in the rear face ot the housing, as this has been foundiunneces- Y. since the engagement by means of the bolts 15 has been found entirely sutlicient to rigidlyl secure the differential; casing` and attendant parts to the tubular housing which vconstitutes the load-carrying axle.

lgn Fig. 2 I; havel shown a moditication ogl' my improved type of internalpgear drive axle., in which there isl shown a tulziulgarlionsin 0' 2Q; havinga-n enlarged central; portion as b rela-nd provided with inwardly extending substantially parallel fiamges 2l and; 2Q'. The' .lange QQ', which is the front flange oi;- side oii' the housing, lis bent iniv rdzly upon itselt as at 23 to provide a rein ircededgp'e, to which, may be fastened h lerentialcarrier 24k carrying the usual' di'fllierenti alinechanism and' bearings for a. prope slgiatt (fnot shown). The diillerenti-.alz carri-ei.' 24; is constructed: tok be passed from behind through the opening in the flange or side 2l ot; the tubuhw housing andinto engagement with the inner Jface of the trontside or flange of' the housing, toxvhicli itis. securely bolted by boltsZG; rlhe differential carrier-extends rearwardly through the opening;` in the flange 2l brinogirig` vaxle sha-.tts ivhiclnmay be fitted into. the differential carrierI outside ot and behindy thetubular housing'- 20', len order to. enclose the differentialv carrier l mount against theouter: tace et the rear side or flange 2i oit the housing, a cylindrical spacer plate or shell 27, having;- open ends and inwardly turned flanges 28 and 29, the latter ot' which abuts aga-inst the: 'Hanne 2l and is fastened theretoA in any suitable man ner shaft enclosingi sleeves, which. areI common in this type of axles, butas these sleeves are. extremely light there is practically no weight to. bef carried by this shell, except the 'weight ot a cover plate 30 mounted against the 'flange 28 and: covering),` the i" ,ir opening. in. thel shell; rEhe tubular housing' 9,0, the front plate Srl. oi the differential carrier, thel shell 27 and the rear cover plate 30 jointly forml an enclosingv casing for the ditierential mechanism, butthe load is enti-rely supported from,v the tubular housing' 2O,4 as is apparent trom. the foregoing description of the functions. oli the various, parts. Since no` load, except possibly that of the sleeves surrounding; the'. axles, is-A to be carried by the shell 2i?, it may be made oi' extremely light construction. ABy the removal lof the cover plate 30 access may be had to the interior of this composite diilferential enclosingV casing, While the entire differential may be removedi' through the rear opening; in the shell 27 upon the removal ot the Into. thisrshelilQfr' maybe. ittedf the usual cover plate 30, and upon disengagement olE the bolts 2G.

ln Fig. 3 I have shown still another modified form oiffmy improved axle, inwhich a tubular housing serves to support the load, this housing having; an enlarged and apertured central portion, as in the previous iigures, it being provided with inwardly directed opposite flanges 36 and 3T. The opening,Y in the rear 'flange- 36 is coveredbyY means of a: removable cover plate 3S. In this axle the diierential mechanism and the. axle shafts are mounted ahead ot the loadsupporting axle 35, and since this mechanism mustbe supported from the. axle- 35' and must be sulliciently ahead, of the sailneto permit of the mfainting"Y ot the. axle shafts I provide strongopeilfended cylindrical shell 39 having inwardly directed 'tlanges 40 and ill, theft-inst ot which abuts al ,instthe front flange- 37 of the housing'l 35 and the removalot the cover plate 88,' While.

differential mechanism may be: entirelyref moved from; the casingV by the. reniova-l` of the. bolts which fasten sanieto.` the shell 39. ln this const ructioI-iY the shell, BSc-performs an entirely differentfunction from that ot the shell 27j in` the. precedingconstructiom as the shell 39 must be of' considerable strength andy must act as an extension, olf, housing 35 and must bex of rigid-ity to, se# curely support the ,digliierentiall mechanism in a fixed position. with respectto thehousf ing. i i

axle is that it makes possible theluse of a tubular housingV Whieh is] oi much, t(greater strength than they Idar-iamy Whieh has com,- monly been usedas a load-carrying,member in internal, drive. axles. An beainis con; structed primarily for strength in but one plane, While a tubular housing hasthe saine strengthin, every plane and,l compared,tov an Ifbeam, isr thns several" tignes, stron-ger.

against torsional or horizontal strains than the Irbeamand can be made equally strom? against verticali strains;

In 5, (i and 7 therefis shown an axle cover plate or' the differential; carrier. i'llhe y housing or" Figs. 5, '6 and. 7 is formed by lirst An important advantage my improved pressing a cylindrical extension 41 from a fiat sheet or blank and then punching therein the opening 42, which serves as a front opening of the final housing, and which is reinforced by means ot' an inserted plate 43, welded, or otherwise securely attached thereto. The blank, after this operation, is then folded, first into a U-shaped section and then into final cylindrical sections or edges welded, or otherwise securely fastened together and with an opening 44 in its rear face corresponding in position and in location t'o the opening 42 in the front face. Lateral openings 45 are also formed in the opposite sides of the extension 41 'for the insertion of the axle-receiving tubes '7, which are included as one part of such an axle, and a differential carrier- 46, provided with a lateral extending plate or flange 47, is securely bolted to the reinforced edges of' the hole 42, While the differential carrier proper extends into the extension 41 and the body of the housing adjoining same. The rear opening 44 of the housing may be closed by means of a removable cover plate 48 corresponding to the plates and 38 in Figs. 2 and 3 respectively.

The construction illustrated in Figs. 5, 6 and 7 briefly described above is of particular advantage and importance as it comprises an integral one-piece member for carrying and enclosing the differential carrier When used, of' course, With a suitable rear cover plate, such as described.

Other modes of' applying the principle of -my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change 'being made, as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the Vfollowing claims or the equi valent of such stated means be employed.

l therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention 1. In an axle of' the type described, the combination of a tubular aXle housing provided With an enlarged portion having openings in opposite sides thereof, an open ended .cylindrical shell mounted against the front face of such enlarged portion of' said housing about the opening therein, said shell forming an extension of said housing, and a differential carrier mounted on said shell.

2. In an aXle of the type described, the combination of a tubular axle housing provided With an enlarged portion having openings in opposite sides thereof, an open ended shell mounted against the front face of such enlarged portion of said housing about the opening therein, and a differential carrier mounted on said shell, said shell being adapted to rigidly support said carrier from said housing.

3. In an axle of the type described, the combination of a tubular aXle housing provided With an enlarged portion having openings in opposite sides thereof, an open ended shell mounted against the front face of such enlarged portion of said housing about the opening therein, a combined differential carrier and cover plate mounted against and closing the front face of' said shell, and a cover plate mounted against the rear face of such enlarged portion of said housing about the opening therein.

Signed by me, this 3rd day of June, 1918.

GEORGE W. HARPER. 

